Living with Raccoons

You’ve got to hand it to them. Raccoons are some of the most resourceful and opportunistic creatures out there. They, like us, are omnivores. Meaning they’ll eat basically whatever they can get their tiny little hands on. Their size and their incredible dexterous hands make breaking-and-entering your home/garage/shed/chimney/doggy door a simple task.

To many, they are a nuisance (“a plague on all your houses!”). They get into trash and have a habit of getting into your pets food if you place it outside. Hey, you left food outside and a raccoon’s gotta eat, am I right? Here’s the thing. As humans have built up suburbs and urbanized, we have begun to encroach on the habitat of other animals. While most species don’t do too well with that change of scenery, opportunistic raccoons have found an endless source of food and shelter.

The Solution

If you feed your dog or cat outside, just be sure to bring in any excess food. All living things are programmed to look for the most calories for the least amount of effort. Your pets food on the back porch is like placing a Big Mac and a dozen donuts under a neon sign that reads “Come and get me!”. Are they getting into your trash? Invest in trash cans with locking lids. If possible, keep the bins in your garage (with the garage door closed, of course) until trash day to minimize their accessibility. What if you’re a fan of raccoons and don’t mind having them around? The same rules follow because your neighbors might not agree. Avoid feeding, touching, petting, or overall interacting with raccoons. Watching them can be really entertaining, but don’t let their peculiarity and cuteness distract you from the fact that giving them to much attention isn’t good for either of you. After all, you don’t want them to become dependent on you, or people in general.

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Meet Our Founder

Meet Devon Bowker. Devon founded The Wild Life in January of 2017 with a mountain of a goal: to build a community that reconnects people and the natural world in meaningful ways. He’s an experienced naturalist, wildlife biologist, massive geek, and a proud husband and father.